Most of us grow up believing that math belongs in classrooms, notebooks, and textbooks. Over time, this belief slowly turns into hesitation and fear, not just for children, but for adults too. Many mothers often feel that math is “not for them,” even though they engage with it every single day while managing time, dividing food, handling money, noticing patterns, and making countless everyday decisions at home.
Moms for Math began from this simple idea: mothers already know and use math in meaningful ways.
Over the past year, through conversations, meetups, and playful explorations across places like Dharamshala and Palampur, we have been creating small spaces where mothers and children can experience math differently. Not as pressure, but as play, curiosity, and connection. In these meetups, mothers and children come together to explore simple games, everyday concepts, and joyful ways of engaging with math beyond textbooks.
At its heart, Moms for Math is not about making mothers teach math. It is about helping families recognise that math already exists in their lives, and that learning can begin with play, conversation, and everyday moments shared together.
As part of this journey, we have been building a growing library of simple math games for children aged 0 to 10 years. Designed using everyday materials and experiences, these games help children engage with math more comfortably and confidently at home. The Moms for Math Games Compendium brings all of these games together in one place, making it easy for mothers to browse, pick a game, and start playing with their child today. This year, we launched the Compendium at our first webinar, and it is free for anyone to access.
The session brought together 80+ mothers, educators, and practitioners from across India and internationally. What stood out most was how deeply personal people’s relationships with math can be. Some participants spoke about carrying fear from their own school experiences, while others reflected on wanting something different for their children.
Hafsa, a mother who joined the session, said something many in the room recognised immediately. “I wasn’t very interested in math during school, but as an adult, I have realised how important it is in everyday life. Somewhere along the way, I felt I had missed out on learning higher-level math myself. When I saw this session, I immediately joined because I really want to support my children better with math.”
And it was not only mothers. Aaditi, an educator with Teach For India working in a government school in Pune with Grade 3 children, found her way to the session too. “I have been thinking about how to build stronger connections between mothers and children around learning at home. When I came across this, I immediately wanted to be a part of it.”
The response from the room said it best. As Niveta and Swathi shared, “We would love to see more workshops and online spaces like this continue.”
So would we. Our vision is simple: a Math Mom in every pin code. Mothers across the country who feel confident in their relationship with math and are passing that joy on to their children. This was one morning, one webinar, one compendium. We are just getting started.
Moms for Math is an initiative of Aavishkaar Center, supported by Bachpan ManaoÂ
Watch the webinar recording here: https://youtu.be/O3i7eJ7_4AY
Visit Instagram, @momsformath to see the games in action and click here to access the Moms for Math Games Compendium: https://tinyurl.com/MomsForMathGames
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